Barnett Newman
Born – New York City, USA 1905
Died – New York City, USA 1970
Barnett Newman trained in New York. He attended classes at the Art Student’s League, while also studying at the City College. In the 1930s, he painted in an Abstract Expressionist style. However, although closely associated with other members of this movement, his own work gradually began to change, rejecting their characteristically loose, painterly technique in favour of a stricter, more rigorous approach to abstraction. By 1948, he was working on monochrome canvases, interrupted only by the presence of one or more bands, travelling vertically from one edge of the canvas to the other. Known as “zips”, these became the trademark of Newman’s large, abstract paintings, providing a contemplative focus on the vast fields of colour and effectively opening out the space. Despite their minimalist appearance, paintings like Moment are suffused with sublime mysticism, drawing upon vast concepts like creation and creativity. Between 1958 and 1962 Newman painted solely in black and white. In the late 1960s he employed colours of exceptional purity and depth. His late work was prolific and, from 1965, included a small number of large, steel sculptures. Newman was a radical influence on younger American artists such as Larry Poons and Jasper Johns.
Masterpieces:
- Adam
- Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About barnett newman
Barnett Newman
Ann Temkin
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Barnett Newman.
THOMAS B. HESS
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Barnett Newman: A Catalogue Raisonne
Richard Shiff
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